Day: April 18, 2022

Posted on

Al-Shabab Claims Mortar Attack on Somali Parliament

Terrorist group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for a mortar attack on Somalia’s parliament Monday that injured at least six people during a joint session.

Somalia’s newly elected members of parliament were meeting Monday to approve procedures for the election of speakers when the grounds were hit by a mortar attack.

In a Facebook post, lawmaker and presidential candidate Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame said several rounds were fired and several people wounded, including two of his bodyguards.

Somali militant group al-Shabab, in media posts, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Somalia’s Office of Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble condemned the assault, which it called a terrorist act.

In posts on social media, it said the attack was a cowardly attempt to intimidate parliament, which is in the process of finishing Somalia’s indirect election.

Roble commended the efforts of lawmakers to expedite the elections.

Before the attack Monday, lawmakers unanimously agreed to elect the speaker of the Upper House on April 26 and the Speaker of the Lower House a day later.

Somalia’s indirect elections were delayed for months because of political wrangling between the prime minister and President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as Farmaajo.

Farmaajo had sought to extend his term in office, but backed off under intense domestic and international pressure.

Al-Shabab has taken advantage of the political instability to launch a series of deadly attacks on Somali security forces and politicians.

Somalia’s lawmakers are expected to vote for the next president as early as May.

Source: Voice of America

Posted on

Recovery of South Africa Flood Victims Hampered by Rains

The South African army says it is deploying 10,000 troops to areas affected by record floods to help restore power and water, and support recovery missions. The death toll from the floods in the country’s eastern provinces has risen to more than 440. The return of rains over the weekend complicated rescue efforts and contributed to the death of at least one responder.

Officials say 14 search and rescue teams have been dispatched from Durban’s Virginia Airport to recover victims of last week’s deadly floods. Durban is in the hard-hit province of KwaZulu-Natal.

Travis Trower, director for volunteer organization Rescue South Africa, said one rescuer, Busisiwe Mjwara, drowned Sunday along with her dog Leah while searching the Msunduzi River.

“The more water that’s falling, the heavier the ground becomes, which causes more mudslides, which makes it a lot more dangerous for us,” Trower said. “To lose somebody that is part of the team has a massive impact on everybody. We’re all close to the member and to know that that has happened definitely sets everyone back and changes the tone of the rescues.”

Trower, who is also an emergency medical care lecturer at Nelson Mandela University, said despite the weather conditions, rescuers managed to recover six bodies Sunday.

At least 443 people were confirmed dead by provincial officials. Dozens of people remain missing.

In the riverside community of Mariannhill, in west Durban, the arrival of search and rescue teams Friday brought momentary relief to families of missing loved ones.

Sinenhlanhla Menela’s 26-year-old sister and her two children were swept into the river in a landslide.

Menela said local police have been overwhelmed by calls but that he hopes the arrival of a canine unit will help.

“No one wants to help us, even the police, they don’t want to help. We see dogs, maybe they will, they will try to help us.”

Further downstream, Philsiwe Nene was among dozens of people searching the riverbanks for their neighbor’s missing son.

She said without a body, the family is denied a proper funeral.

“It gives us some peace when we know where we bury the body. His mother is crying now and again, whole days. It’s bad, it’s bad.

Trower called the devastation “vast” and says it is impossible for authorities to be fully prepared for a disaster of this scale. He said he has seen the heartbreak in communities and rescuers are doing their best with the resources they have while keeping safety in mind.

“We really need to do things slowly. And hopefully, in time, we’ll be able to bring everyone back and then give these families closure. But I think at the moment it is just patience. You know, it’s a very difficult time. And the guys will work, they will work until the job is done.”

People across the country are coming together to donate funds and resources to the KwaZulu-Natal province.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has also cancelled plans to go to Saudi Arabia Tuesday so he can focus on the recovery.

Source: Voice of America

Posted on

Russia-Ukraine conflict: One-fifth of humanity could face poverty, hunger, says UN Sec-Gen Guterres

UNITED NATIONS— The Ukraine crisis could plunge more than one fifth of humanity, or up to 1.7 billion people, into poverty and hunger, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

“We all see the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine. But beyond its borders, the war has launched a silent assault on the developing world. The crisis could plunge up to 1.7 billion people, more than a fifth of humanity, into poverty and hunger on a scale not seen in decades,” Guterres said in an interview with the Czech Seznam Zpravy publication.

Ukraine and Russia account for 30 per cent of world production of wheat and barley, a fifth of all corn and more than half of all sunflower oil, Guterres said, specifying that Russia and Ukraine account for over a third of the wheat exported to the 45 least developed countries.

The UN Secretary-General said that the Ukraine crisis is blocking grain exports and disrupting supply chains, causing prices to skyrocket. Since the start of 2022, wheat and corn prices have gone up by 30 percent, Brent crude oil prices have risen by more than 60 percent, while gas and fertiliser prices have more than doubled.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said that the Ukraine conflict will downgrade forecasts for 143 economies this year, which collectively make up 86 per cent of the world’s GDP.

The chiefs of the IMF, the World Bank, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) issued a joint statement on Wednesday calling for urgent, coordinated action to address food security amid the fallout of the Ukraine crisis, which is adding to the still ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

Proudly powered by WordPress